Should Arsenal Sign Loic Remy? Remy vs Giroud Comparison

Should Arsenal Sign Loic Remy? Remy vs Giroud Comparison

With Olivier Giroud as the only recognized striker at Arsenal, the Gunners will be linked to a lot of strikers this summer. One of the strikers they have been linked to is QPR striker Loic Remy. After impressing on a season long loan at Newcastle, the Frenchman has reportedly drawn interest from multiple teams including Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham. Remy was seen watching the West Brom Arsenal game at the Emirates late in the season making the rumor mill go crazy.

There is no question that Arsenal need an upgrade on Olivier Giroud if they want to seriously compete for the title next season. The question is whether Loic Remy is an upgrade over the current Arsenal striker and, if he is, is he the quality Arsene Wenger needs to compete at the level he wants to. While the two strikers have different styles, both had strong seasons leading there respective teams in goals.

Creativity

The striker in Arsene Wenger’s system has to not only score goals but create them as well. Giroud not only led the Gunners in goals but also had eight assists. The Chambéry born striker has become known for his flicks to teammates, like the ones in Jack Wilshere’s goal against Norwich, and he has become a very good fulcrum for the Arsenal attack.

The Arsenal striker created a chance every 83 minutes this season while Remy created one every 70 minutes. Giroud created a clear cut chance every 342 minutes while the on loan QPR striker created one every 351 minutes. One criticism of Giroud has been his inability to create chances for himself out of nothing. The former Montpellier striker completed only 31% of his attempted dribbles while Remy completed 48% of his. While the FA cup winner is a good person to pass to, he lacks the ability to pick up the ball and run with it to create a chance for himself.

Goal Scoring

The bread and butter of every striker is their ability to put the ball in the back of the net. Giroud scored 16 goals this season as opposed to Remy’s 14. The on loan Newcastle striker scored a goal every 150 minutes while the Arsenal hitman scored one every 193 minutes. The biggest criticism of the former Montpellier man in his time at Arsenal has been his propensity to miss chances. The towering Frenchman’s chance conversion rate is at 18% compared to Remy’s 22%. His’s clear cut chance conversion is an even more damning stat. Giroud’s clear cut chance conversion rate was 35% compared to Remy’s 53%. His inability to put away the easy chances has meant that the Arsenal man has come under scrutiny from both the fans and the media.

In terms of quality, Remy and Giroud are very close. If Arsenal were to sign the former Marseille man they would be get something different to what the Gunners have now. Remy has the pace to stretch the defense and make runs in behind. Those kind of runs are ones players like a certain Mesut Ozil love to have. Personally, I believe that Arsenal should be aiming higher with their pursuit of a striker than Loic Remy. That said, if the QPR man is willing to come in and compete with Giroud and another striker, he would be a great option for Arsenal to have and it would give them much more opportunity to not only rotate but also make changes purely based on the opponent’s personnel and tactics.